I'm another on the undecided bench. I have a very conflicted relationship with my Rockwell. The 2c came in with the shaft on the cap only partially threaded and the handle really stuck on and the bottom plate so loose it rattled. Rockwell customer support was exceptional and they shipped out a replacement razor immediately. In the mean time I finally got the handle off the original and it fit smoothly on several other heads and with the bottom plate out of the way I could see that the threads simply stopped way too soon. I used my M5x0.8 die to cut the missing threads and ran my tap down the handle just to clean up any burs and all was healthy again.

But so far the shaves have been less than great and the whole package simply feels awkward while most razors feel like they were custom made for my hand.

I'll keep trying it but so far the razor has not impressed but their support has.

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If I may make a suggestion Gents. But before that, what type of razors did you happen to use before trying the 6s? And what particular brand of blades? I own a 6s and I find it to be a very good razor, but not as efficient and aggressive as I would like it to be. Let me explain.

I to have Uber sensitive skin. Plus my beard growth around my neck is a hurricane of growth in every which way. So, the less passes I make, the less irritation I get. I use a WTG 1st pass and then a hybrid combination of ATG/XTG 2nd pass. Works every time with basically no irritation. But for me to accomplish this, I've had to use the sharpest blades available. Either the Feather or Kai blades, in which I prefer the Kai and I'll explain why in just a bit. First, the 6s is smooth and mildly efficient. Plates 1-4 are pretty much useless in my shave routine with the 6s, but 5 will work and 6 even better. The blade gap is set at a very mild setting, no matter what plate you use. Another factor is blade exposure. The combination of the two create a very mild and safe shave for the vast majority of shavers.

Here is where the Kai blade comes in and was the solution for my dilemma. The Kai blade, for some reason is just a bit wider than the rest of the DE blades in production. Also, it feels thicker or more rigid than any other blade even though it has the same thickness at .004mm as the rest. When using the Kai blade in the 6s you will notice more blade exposure even though the gap to the safety bar is relatively the same. But that little bit of extra blade exposure turned the 6s into a bit more aggressive while still being a smooth razor. I felt a bit more blade on my skin, which allows the blade to ride smoother and longer on the skin resulting in a cleaner and more efficient cut. It also made short work of my crazy growth in the neck area. The Feather will work really nice also, but for me it felt just a tiny bit more harsh than the Kai.

Overall, the 6s is a good razor and with those two blades it amps it up just a tiny bit and turns it into a very good razor. As I've stated, it's not my favorite or best razor, but with that simple upgrade of the blade it has stayed in my den. Don't feel intimidated by trying either the Feather or Kai blade as many in most shave forums have said those blades cause blood letting. The 6s tames those two in a very good way.

So perhaps you might find an answer to your dilemma by trying the blade upgrade. Overall the 6s will still be a very pleasant and mild shaver, but it will increase the efficiency of it with those 2 specific blades imho... Good Luck!

If I may make a suggestion Gents. But before that, what type of razors did you happen to use before trying the 6s? And what particular brand of blades? I own a 6s and I find it to be a very good razor, but not as efficient and aggressive as I would like it to be. Let me explain.

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Well, I've been shaving with double edge razors since Ike was President and own at least one example of almost every major type of razor Gillette has made as well as Schick and Durham and several Feather and Weishi and Baili and some I have simply forgotten. I went and looked and there is an Astra blade in the razor but again, my experience over the last half century says there just isn't much difference between any of the branded blades.

The razor simply has not impressed me at all.

It's not alone. The Ikon El Jefe and so far the Colonial brass General have been underwhelming.

I will likely keep the one I repaired but the new one that the good folk at Rockwell sent me will end up as an auction item during Saint Sue.

Well, I've been shaving with double edge razors since Ike was President and own at least one example of almost every major type of razor Gillette has made as well as Schick and Durham and several Feather and Weishi and Baili and some I have simply forgotten. I went and looked and there is an Astra blade in the razor but again, my experience over the last half century says there just isn't much difference between any of the branded blades.

The razor simply has not impressed me at all.

It's not alone. The Ikon El Jefe and so far the Colonial brass General have been underwhelming.

I will likely keep the one I repaired but the new one that the good folk at Rockwell sent me will end up as an auction item during Saint Sue.

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Tough crowd. I've owned most every Gillette and sold them all except the Single Ring. (I kept the Schicks, Cooper, Shake Sharp, Jaws, Mastiff, also sold the General and El Jefe). Getting to BBS on my beard is fairly easily done with most any razor, but the head shave is a different matter, and here the Rockwell (6-plate) impresses the hell out of me, certainly more than any Gillette, especially at the price of the 6C. Terrific balance of smoothness and efficiency. In my top three or so.

Absolutely. Paid advertisers are the reason that place exists. Users are just necessary to get paid advertisers.

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Yep. And the money those guys pay for that vendor status is big enough it keeps any hobbyist types looking to expand from being able to play. Sort of corners the newbie money. Good gig if you can get it, I guess.

Well, I've been shaving with double edge razors since Ike was President and own at least one example of almost every major type of razor Gillette has made as well as Schick and Durham and several Feather and Weishi and Baili and some I have simply forgotten. I went and looked and there is an Astra blade in the razor but again, my experience over the last half century says there just isn't much difference between any of the branded blades.

The razor simply has not impressed me at all.

It's not alone. The Ikon El Jefe and so far the Colonial brass General have been underwhelming.

I will likely keep the one I repaired but the new one that the good folk at Rockwell sent me will end up as an auction item during Saint Sue.

I do have a few. Brass General (2), Ikon El Jefe, RR SS DLC Hawk & my favorite of them all, the Rx.

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Do you prefer the shaves you get from them? When I started SE shaving, my DE's pretty much fell by the wayside. For me it went: injectors, AC style, AC style shavettes, straights, then straights and AC shavettes with an occasional injector or mongoose/general shave thrown in.

Do you prefer the shaves you get from them? When I started SE shaving, my DE's pretty much fell by the wayside. For me it went: injectors, AC style, AC style shavettes, straights, then straights and AC shavettes with an occasional injector or mongoose/general shave thrown in.

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I do prefer my shaves with SE's. But out of respect to this thread and to the Rockwell owners, I won't divulge much more info on that. Though I still use the 6s on occasion. This thread is for the Rockwell owners and their experiences with said razor and I respectfully concede in allowing that to continue.

I do prefer my shaves with SE's. But out of respect to this thread and to the Rockwell owners, I won't divulge much more info on that. Though I still use the 6s on occasion. This thread is for the Rockwell owners and their experiences with said razor and I respectfully concede in allowing that to continue.

Respectfully, Gus

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Gotcha. Thank you for putting the train back on the tracks, so to speak.

Today, I used the 6S with two shims as sometimes I feel I need a little more aggressiveness.
On two shims the effectiveness goes up a notch while the smoothness remains the same. On three shims, smoothness suffers a bit but it becomes really aggressive. If you intend to do this on the 6, be aware that it has to be watched somewhat because it will give you weepers if you use it like you are used to.

It's "funny" .. on the rare occasion I have 3 days of growth, the R4 plate is marvelous. But for an everyday plate something's just not right. I had the same problem with my Weber - great after several days, but only "meh" everyday. I nick easily (tried many angles and pressures), my skin reacts after the shave with reddish bump-spots and it feels not-so-smooth. Clean shave though. On the R4.

I am having a hard time to believe that R5+R6 should be so smooth, because, for me, stepping up from R2 to R4 is anything but smooth, no matter the blade. For everyday shaving, that is. Disclaimer thrown into the mix: I have never used the R5-R6 plate because of that.

On the other hand.. R2 plate seems to work really great. Maybe that's why I love a Tech so much as well - it just works. No hassle.